Karnataka has descended into 'Jungle Raj' under CM, Deputy CM: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP leader R Ashoka on Sunday alleged that under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, Karnataka has descended into "Jungle Raj" - where arrogance replaces accountability and intimidation replaces governance.
The Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly was targeting the Congress government over Shivakumar's statement on Saturday that the contractors cannot "threaten" the government, while assuring them an audience with the CM to address their concerns about clearing pending dues.
The Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) representatives, who met the Deputy CM, said that the association would go ahead with its planned strike if pending bills worth Rs 33,000 crore are not substantially cleared in the next two months.
KSCA had recently written to Siddaramaiah alleging that commission for clearing payments in several departments under the current Congress government has "doubled" compared with the previous BJP regime.
"Jungle Raj in Karnataka! So now, in Karnataka, protesting for your rights is a threat to the government? When did asking for your rightful dues become threatening to the government?" Ashoka asked.
"Deputy CM D K Shivakumar has the audacity to say that contractors can't threaten the government - when all they are asking for is the release of Rs 33,000 crore in unpaid dues. When contractors are pushed to the brink, forced to strike because the government refuses to pay for completed works - that is not a threat. That is a cry for justice," he said in a post on 'X'.
"But in RahulGandhi's (Congress leader) pocket constitution, it seems citizens have no right to protest, no right to demand their dues, and no right to question corruption," he added.
Ashoka said, under Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, Karnataka has descended into Jungle Raj - where arrogance replaces accountability, and intimidation replaces governance.
"The so-called Karnataka Model has become a model of chaos, corruption, and collapse," he added.
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Man held for attempting to encroach on 532 acres of forest, govt land near Bengaluru
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Tuesday said that police have arrested a man for allegedly attempting to encroach upon 532 acres of forest and government land at B M Kaval near Bengaluru by submitting forged documents and obtaining court orders fraudulently.
He said the accused, M B Manmatha alias M B Nemannagowda, had earlier also attempted to claim ownership over 512 acres and 26 guntas of forest and government land in Chikkamagaluru's Mudigere by producing fake records.
In connection with the case, an Assistant Conservator of Forests had lodged a complaint at the Mudigere Circle police station on November 28, following which the Tahsildar also lodged a separate complaint, the minister said in a statement issued by his office.
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Based on these complaints, police registered an FIR and have now taken Manmatha into custody. "The investigation will reveal who were all involved in this conspiracy to encroach upon forest and government land," he said.
The FIR was registered against the accused at Mudigere police station in Chikkamagaluru district on December 13 under Sections 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant section of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act.
Khandre further claimed that it had come to his notice that some officials and government advocates were directly or indirectly assisting those attempting to encroach upon government and forest land worth thousands of crores of rupees.
The minister said he has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a CID or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter.
Warning of strict action, the minister said no one attempting to grab forest land using forged documents would be spared and termed the development a "wake-up call".
